River Baroness Cruise Photos

Day 6: Giverny (6)

River Baroness stayed in
Mantes-la-Jolie until after lunch, when members of an optional "Versailles
Palace and Gardens" tour left for the Paris suburbs. At 1:45 p.m., the gangway
was raised, and the ship set sail for
Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.

The weather had turned sunny and relatively warm. For the
first time during our cruise, passengers who had stayed on board flocked to the
Sun Deck to read or soak up the sun.

To paraphrase Omar Khayyam: "A life preserver, a glass of wine, and thou."

In the interests of journalism, we went to the Monet Lounge
at 3:30 p.m. for afternoon tea, which consisted of cakes, pastries, finger
sandwiches, and a choice of hot drinks.

By the time we returned to the Sun Deck, River Baroness
was passing through a river lock on the Seine.

We shared the huge lock with a scrap-metal barge.

As River Baroness approached the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, we
passed the
Bateau Je Sers ("Boat I Serve"), which fulfills several missions:

The former cargo barge, which was launched in 1919, is the
floating chapel of river pilots, sailors, and boatmen on the Seine, It
offers Catholic masses, baptisms, weddings, and daily prayer services.

With its neighboring boats, Bateau Je Sers provides
meals, operates a food bank, and distributes clothing for those in need.

It offers tutoring to children who are staying (usually with
their single mothers) in the boat's community.

Around 5:45 p.m., River Baroness tied up at a pier
in the center of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, where passengers from the Versailes
tour rejoined the ship. The ship sailed for Paris just after 6 p.m.

Our new first captain (the replacement for Captain Emmanuel
Quendera, who had left on vacation in Rouen) did the honors at the captain's
farewell reception and dinner that evening.

When we returned to our cabin after dinner, the tray with
the daily program included a souvenir photo of the crew.

Late that evening, after live entertainment by a
singer-pianist couple named Marie and Jean-Louis, River Baroness
arrived in Paris. We went up on the Sun Deck to enjoy the hourly strobe-light
show on the Eiffel Tower, which was visible from the pier.